We love nothing more than celebrating women’s achievements! This month we met some inspiring entrepreneurs who are making a huge impact in the business world. They share their success stories and what it means to be their own boss...
First up is Vahida Gogic, the owner of clothing chain Safura.
As the founder of three clothing stores in Tralee, Enniscorthy and Wicklow, can you tell us what inspired you to get into the retail field?
I always had a love for fashion, I did fashion and textile design and fashion buying and merchandising in college. And while I did the courses I worked part-time for Topshop/Topman. I absolutely loved every aspect of fashion retail, so it was always one of my ambitions to have my own brand and my own stores.
How did you come up with the name of your brand?
I named the shop after my grandmother, Safura, the most inspirational woman that I have ever met. She lived with us and her motto was that women should look after themselves, for themselves. She always said if you look good, you feel good so I took her words and tried to bring that to life by helping women choose beautiful clothing. I also named my daughter Safura and hope to pass my grandmother’s wisdom, values and style to her generation.
What’s the best part about your job?
I am passionate about what I do and I love making women feel confident about what they’re wearing. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to meet so many incredible women through work, and I adore seeing them get so excited about new styles that arrive in our stores and online. It gives me great satisfaction when our collections get such a good reaction too. My other passion is my three girls. I want to be the best role model for them growing up. I want them to know that if you work hard and believe in yourself you can achieve anything in life, it might take a bit of time but it will eventually happen. I think we as women need to lead by example for the next generation.
And the most challenging part?
Trying to balance family life and work can be a challenge. I have young children and it can get very hectic at times when you’re trying to run a business at the same time as being mam at home. Keeping your relationship alive by having date nights whenever you get a chance is important too. Thankfully, we are blessed with two amazing sets of grandparents who support us and give us time to spend as a couple.
Your top advice for someone who wants to work in fashion?
I would advise them to try a multitude of roles within the retail sector, from a sales assistant role to merchandising, supervisory and store management roles. We have so many members of our team who started off at entry-level positions and worked their way right up to supervisor, store manager and area manager roles. So it’s a definite must to try all areas in the retail field and see what you enjoy the most. When you enjoy what you do it doesn’t feel like work so, yes, just go for it, work hard and bring your passion.
What’s your personal style?
It changes from day to evening. During the day I love being edgy and trendy, and when it comes to nighttime my style is more classy, feminine and chic.
Who does Safura cater for in terms of shoppers?
Our main customer is a fashion-conscious woman who wants to dress well, keep on-trend yet look and feel good at the same time. Our customer profile is very vast, it starts from clients in their early 20s and beyond. Our goal for 2022 is to do extended sizes for the curvy girl which we’ve already been working on and are super excited about it.
What are your best-selling products?
I have always had a huge interest and love for our dresses. One of the main reasons we place so much emphasis on our dresses is because we always have a great response to them. Our highest selling category was our own production of knitwear last season and the reaction that we got based on the small details that we added was fantastic. Our SS22 tops are starting to land and we’re really excited to see our customer reaction to these styles.
Web: www.safura.ie / E: info@safura.ie / @safura.ie
